A collaborative project between the University for the Creative Arts & the University of Kent

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Beta!

Just a few weeks left so I figured I'd get my beta version up for some additional input. A couple of things I'm currently figuring out. I've been mixing music for the last week as well as rendered out some videos and playing around in After effect.

This is the best music I've managed to come up with thus far. Tried five different versions from really ambient/atmospheric to more upbeat/cartoony. Neither where really fitting so I settled on this which is a little of both worlds, I guess.

Another major thing is; does this really need a voice-over to explain the details? I've gotten to a point where I'm blind as far as how first impressions goes. Does the message and phases of fighting an infection get conveyed enough purely through the animation or is more information needed? As in a voice-over.

C&C on all aspects of the animation and how to fix issues and better it are obviously welcome!

1 comment:

No - you don't need a voice-over. It's so clearly communicated, that a voice-over would, I think, be instance of info over-kill. There is, however, a conspicuous need for some sfx. The soundtrack is okay, I think, but what you need (and I'm sure you know this) is all the other sound elements that will add further weight, impact and solidity to the action; so, for example, the 'pop!' noise as the pathogen first makes it inside, sort of slimier sounds when the eater spreads its tentacles and an 'emerging' sound for when it grows its antennae etc. Even the T helper should have a sound it makes as it moves, and the green characters that the t helper wakes up, they could be 'snoring' to give that scene a bit more energy. There's lots of room here for sfx to enrich the music, which, right now, sits a bit heavy on the action, because it feels a bit unleavened. There's a specific place when additional sound would fend off a rather anti-climatic feel; when the antibodies move towards the last surviving pathogen, I think we need to feel a bit 'uh oh - he's in trouble now' - and we should hear that classic 'horror violin' sound that you hear in the Scream movies - you know, it's the sound equivalent of the 'Vertigo' push: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYjjPSpm5ew

You know, it maybe that this climatic shot with the antibodies closing in on the pathogen might need the vertigo push as an actual shot choice...

You might also need a specific sound effect for the moments where the characters are popped out of the action - a kind of 'radiant' sound effect to synch with the graphics? I'd encourage you to be bold in terms of additional sfx - certainly, when your characters make contact with each other, when they bend, or deform. I think your universe can take a lot of sound in this respect.